Three months ago, I landed a job as a bartender. But not at a bar—at a guild. Yeah, the magic kind.I’m not a badass mage like my three smokin’ hot best friends. I’m not a sorcerer or an alchemist, or even a wussy witch. I’m just a human, slinging drinks like a pro and keeping my non-magical nose out of mythic business. Seriously, I know my limits.So why am I currently standing in a black-magic ritual circle across from a fae lord?Somewhere behind me, my three mage friends are battling for their lives. Somewhere near my feet is the rogue witch I just knocked out with a stolen spell. And I have about five seconds to convince this very angry sea god not to shmoosh me like a bug.I’m pretty sure this wasn’t part of the job description.

Footsteps creaked on the stairs, and I could tell by the sound who it was. Huffing nervously, I opened the door and stuck my head out.

Kai paused with his hand on his bedroom doorknob, laptop tucked under one arm. “Hey Kai!” I said brightly.

His eyes narrowed immediately.

“What?” I demanded, wounded by his wariness.

Faint amusement touched his features. “Tori, if you don’t want to seem suspicious, don’t act so sweet and sugary.”

“Oh, come on. Why is me being cheerful suspicious?”

Leaning back against his door, he looked me up and down like I might be carrying concealed weapons. “What do you want?

I smiled hesitantly. “Wanna take me for a ride on your motorcycle?” His guardedness returned in full force. “A ride where?”

No matter how I answered that, he’d be suspicious, so I batted my eyelashes and chirped with all the sweet sugar I could muster, “It’s a surprise!”

He stared at me—then threw his head back in a laugh.

Fifteen minutes later, I was gripping Kai’s leather-jacket-clad waist as his motorcycle rocketed down Dunsmuir Street. Yellow streetlamps and red tail lights flashed past as we weaved through traffic. I pointed over his shoulder and he careened through a left turn, cutting it way too close to an oncoming car.

Ahead, the skyscrapers opened up. Squatting among the giants was an old-fashioned building with a stone exterior, four-story-tall columns marking the dramatic entrance, and a domed roof. The structure, once a courthouse, was over a hundred years old.

I looked around for a parking spot, but dozens of sleek cars and SUVs, most of them black with the occasional silver or gunmetal gray, were parallel parked bumper to bumper. Kai slowed the bike, and I gestured helplessly toward the gallery as we passed it.

“Here?” he shouted in disbelief over the road noise. “Yeah.”

His helmet swiveled as he scanned the street. The engine revved, then he spun a one-eighty into the opposing traffic and shot back down the road. With a squeal of tires, he cut across the pavement and onto the sidewalk. Slowing to trolling speed, we passed a grand three-sided staircase that looked like it had spilled off the second-level terrace. The gallery entrance was tucked into the inner corner of the L-shaped building.
​
Stopping the motorcycle beside a row of trees in concrete planters, Kai killed the engine. I loosened my death grip on him and looked around. Yeah, this wasn’t a parking space, but who would complain? The felonious rogue we were about to meet?

About Annette Marie

Annette Marie is the author of Amazon best-selling YA urban fantasy series Steel & Stone, its prequel trilogy Spell Weaver, and romantic fantasy trilogy Red Winter. Her first love is fantasy, but fast-paced adventures and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada (okay, it's not quite that bad) with her husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat—Caesar. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.

​She's mending guitars and her life. He's trying to forget the war with music. Will one broken instrument make their love a smash hit?

Jenna Olsen isn't sure she'll ever escape her terrible choices in love. Becoming a skilled guitar craftsperson helped with the anxiety, but she dreams of the day when she can trust someone again. When an up-and-coming country star asks for a custom guitar in an impossible time-frame, Jenna falls for the challenge… and the man.

Camden Grace loves his music and adores his fans. His passions help him cope with the physical wounds he sustained in Iraq, but he remains haunted by his fractured family history. After his latest angry outburst leaves an expensive guitar shattered, he doesn't expect to find a strong-willed woman whose struggle echoes his own.

As the instrument and their feelings start to come together, an old would-be flame attempts to sabotage their relationship with increasingly aggressive behavior. Will a jealous rival kill more than their careers or will Jenna and Camden rise above the rage to heal their hearts forever?

Deep in the Heart is a new adult contemporary romance with a melody of music. If you like sizzling chemistry, raw emotions, and wounded heroes, then you'll love Alexa Padgett's compelling novel.

“Nothing wrong with that. But we’re off task. Talked with your grandfather earlier when I stopped by.”

“When was that?”

“’Bout four, I guess.”

“Sorry I missed you. We still need to meet to finalize those details.”

In an honest moment, I admitted I wasn’t ready to deal with Cam— and my growing feelings for him tonight.

“Can we meet tomorrow? I’m not at work, and I can’t seem to wake up all the way.” No way I was going to tell him that I had never been so desperate to have him like me.

“We could, but I have an idea I want to go over with you. Came to me this morning when I was in the shower.”

Great. Now, on top of everything else, I was going to have the image of Cam, naked, in the shower covered in soap, branded in my overwrought brain.

Damn brain created one hell of an image, and I needed to fact check its veracity. “I’ll throw in dinner to sweeten the deal,” he said.

My heart flipped at the idea of going on a date with Cam. He was so sexy. And a bigger star than Kai and the rest of his band, meaning we’d get mobbed by fans. That was rule numero uno of no-go in Jenna-Land: no crowds equaled minimal freak-outs.

“I’m not up for an evening out.”

“Didn’t think you would be after last night. I’ll bring food to you. You like ’cue?”

“Am I from Texas?” I retorted.

Cam chuckled. “Want pulled pork or brisket?”

“Um… both? With a loaded baked potato.”

“More of a Pappa’s girl, huh? Sacrilege to my true-blood Stubb’s. I’ll throw in some ribs.”

“Whatever,” I said on a yawn. “If you bring ribs, be prepared to see me covered in sauce.”

Cam groaned. “Really? Not an image I needed.”

“Not one I meant to send,” I said with a smile because yes, it was. To get even for his oh-so-not-innocent shower comment. “I have some Beerworks Peacemaker my brother left here when we were watching the game.”

“You like college football?”

“Cam,” I said on a sigh. “We’ve established I’m from Texas. I have two older brothers. Yes, I like football, both professional and college. As if there’s another sport I’d watch.”

“All good points. I have an older brother, too. A whole eleven minutes older. See, we have tons in common, Jenna. Now, text me your address and I’ll be there in…”

“At least an hour,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Sugar plums are made faster than you’ll pick up an order at Stubb’s.”

“Oh, ye of little faith. I’m taking that as a bet.”

“What? Whoa! I don’t bet. I never said anything about a bet.”

“Too late.”

My heart rate kicked up to that of a galloping horse. “No, siree with a cherry on top. Nope.”

“You afraid? C’mon, I’ll make it easy on you. If I can get there faster than an hour, I get to take you out on a date. Day of my choosing but in the next week.”

“This is stupid…”

“And if you win, you get to take me out on a date.”

“Win-lose ratio’s off there, buddy.”

But he’d already hung up. Somehow that didn’t surprise me. Camden Grace got what he wanted— when he wanted it. All those fans, hits, and money created that alpha personality. Or maybe he was always the top dog and could now enforce his desires.

“What did you get me into, Pop-pop?” I tossed my phone back onto my coffee table and rubbed my palms over my face.

For now, Cam seemed interested in spending time with me. And I might… yeah, for better— probably worse— want to see him, too.

About Alexa Padgett

With a degree in international marketing and a varied career path that includes content management for a web firm, marketing direction for a high-profile sports agency, and a two-year stint with a renowned literary agency, award-winning author Alexa Padgett has returned to her first love: writing fiction.

Alexa spent a good part of her youth traveling. From Budapest to Belize, Calgary to Coober Pedy, she soaked in the myriad smells, sounds, and feels of these gorgeous places, wishing she could live in them all—at least for a while. And she does in her books.She lives in New Mexico with her husband, children, and walk-loving Great Pyrenees pup, Ash. When not writing, schlepping, or volunteering, she can be found in her tiny kitchen, channeling her inner Barefoot Contessa.

​***MISADVENTURES ARE STANDALONE ROMANCES THAT CAN BE READ IN ANY ORDER***

Straitlaced freshman Zooey Cartwright has arrived at UCLA determined to have a heck of a lot more fun in college than she did in high school. What’s the first item on Zooey’s agenda before classes start in two days? Losing her pesky V card. She’s definitely not looking for a boyfriend, so where can Zooey find the right guy to do the deed and move along without a backward glance? At a party thrown by a bunch of football players, of course. Enter Tyler Caldwell. A beast on the field and off, cocky as heck, and often wearing T-shirts with sayings like “God’s Gift to Womankind,” Tyler is most definitely not boyfriend material. After a make-out session with Tyler leaves Zooey entirely unsatisfied, she is determined never to see him again. But her schedule lands her in not one but two of his classes, and it doesn’t take long before Tyler and Zooey have reached an arrangement for Tyler to teach Zooey exactly what she wants to know―and a whole lot more she never bargained for. Can Zooey surrender her body to this bad boy without giving him her heart, too?

About Lauren Rowe

USA Today and internationally bestselling author Lauren Rowe lives in San Diego, California, where, in addition to writing books, she performs with her dance/party band at events all over Southern California, writes songs, takes embarrassing snapshots of her ever-patient Boston terrier, Buster, spends time with her family, and narrates audiobooks. Much to Lauren’s thrill, her books have been translated all over the world in multiple languages and hit multiple domestic and international bestseller lists. To find out about Lauren’s upcoming releases and giveaways, sign up for Lauren’s emails at www.LaurenRoweBooks.com. Lauren loves to hear from readers! Send Lauren an email from her website, say hi on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook by searching for @laurenrowebooks.